Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
f~
TIrLE OF_T~1E_INVENTI_ .
FLUID ~PPLICAT()R FOR HAIR CONDI'I'JONING
BACKGR_UND _F_THE_INVENTION_
Field of the invention:
The invention relates to a fluid applicator For
hair conditioning such as tint;ng, streaking, highlighting or the
like. It is particularly directed to a nozzle adapted to be
mounte(1 on a dispensing bottle. The nozzle is characterized by
itc particul.7r ang-1lar shape and its Eork-like projections for
simultaneously holding a lock of hflir flnd guiding the liquid on
the lock. The liquid is dispensed in the throflt of the fork-like
projections.
Prior art:
In United States patent No. 2,295,746 the liquid,
in the fount~7in comb iq dispensed flt 90 degrees from the bulb
which is used as ti1e handle. Furthermore, the liql1id is
difipenc1ed flt the tip the teeth.
United States pfltent No. 2,672,875 discloses a
f1uid applicator wl1ich projects the liquid in the direction of
the bottle used as the handle or at 90 degrees as shown in figure
7.
United States patent No. 3,352,623 discloses a
lubricant dispenser which projects the liquid in the direction of
the flexible cube whicl1 is used as the handle of the applicator.
L. Cochran in United States patent No. 4,294,270
describes a ha;r treating fluid applicator which projects the
liqllid tllrough the ~ip of the teeth which provide a passage to
project the liquid against the scalp of a person as seen in
figures 4 and 5.
A medication dispenser is described in United
States patent 4,495,958 in which the liquid ;s similarly
projected through the tip of each inrlividuAl tooth, in which case
the Eluid reaches the bottom of the scalp.
SUMMARY OF TIIE INVENTION:
_______________
The invention is directed to an outlet nozzle
especially adapted to be fixed to a hAir conditioning bottle for
dispensing fluid on a ]ock oE hair. The nozzle comprises a
hollow tubular member and a dispensing tip member fluidly
connected at one end the tubular member opposite the bottle. The
tul)ular member has two continuous longitudinal portions angularly
dispose(l relative to each other. One of the portion is adRpted
to extend at an flngle away from the longitudinfll axis of the
bottle and the other portion extends towards the axis at an angle
the width and up to a location adjacent the axis. The dispensing
tip comprise a pair of flat toot~-like projection6 spacedly
facing each other and extending from the tubular member
substantially in the same direction as the adjacent portion. The
tooth-like projections define an archway adapted to be slidden
~}~i3~
through the hair to define the lock of hair. The tubular member
adjacent the projection is provided with an aperture in the
throat of the archway for allowing the dispensing fluid from the
bottle. Accordingly, the tooth-like projections are adapted to
hold a portion of the lock of hair therebetween while the fluid
is dispensed on this latter portion of the lock.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TIIE DRAWINGS:
____._________________________
Figure I is an elevation front view of a nozzle
and a bottle for applying hair conditioning liquid according to
the invention,
Figure 2 is a side view of the no2zle and bottle
along line 2-2 of ~igure 2 Witll cut-out parts,
Figure 3 is a top view o~ the nozzle and bottle
sll0wn in figure 1,
Figure 4 nnd 5 are cross-sectional views along
line 4-4 and 5-5 oE figure 1,
Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view along line 6-6
of figure 2,
Figure 7 and 8 are two different side views of the
novel liquid applicator for two different operations.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF TH~ INVENTION:
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
In figures l and 2, an outlet nozzle lO is mounted
on a bottle 12 made oE flexible material such a8 plastic. The
bottle 12 is adapted to contain a hair conditioning liquid which
~ ~ 3 ~
will Elow through the nozzle and when the bottle is substantially
tilted as explained later. Tie nozz]e 10 comprises two portions
14 and 16 disposed at an angle with one another. The portion 14
extends from the bottle 12 at an angle relative to the
longitud;nal axis 18 oE the bottle. The second portion 16 is
directed toward~ the axis 18 and extends up to a location
adjacent the axis 18. The nozzle 10 is preferably tapered from
the bottle up to the upper tip o~ the nozzle.
The top end of the tubular member is provided Witl
a dispensing tip 20 made of a pair of flat tooth-like projections
22 alld 24 facing each other in spaced relationship to form a fork
or an arcllw~y. The upper portion 16 of the tubular member is
provided with an aperture 26 at its top end extending between the
tooth-like projections 22 and 24. Botll free ends 28 oE the
archway are rounded to smoothly follow the contour of the scalp
or the base oE the hair stems. The outlet nozzle 10 iq generally
conlected to the bottle by a cap 30 which threadedly engages the
open end of the bottle 12. The bottle 12 is preferably
cylindrical but can also be made to taper in the direction of the
nozzle lO to allow tlle liquid contained to completely flow toward
tlle nozzle when the bottle is tilted.
The apex 32 of the tubular member slightly exceed~
outside the diameter of the bottle according to a preferred
embodiment of the invention. Sucll an embodiment involves a
bottle which has a diameter of about two inches so that it can be
--5--
manipulated easily with the f;ngers of one hand and rotated about
its axis 18 without the help oF the other hand. The lower
portion 14 has a he;ght oi about two and a quarter inches while
the total height oE the tubular member Up to the dispensing tip
member 20 is about three inches. The height oE the tooth-like
project;onq 22 and 24 is about half an inch projecting in the
same direction as the port;on 16 of the tubular member and are
spaced from each other by a d;stance corresponding to the lock oE
hair selected. Sucll a selection varies with the type, texture,
and length of hair of the person on which the ha;r conditioning
liquid is applied. A dispensing tip member 20 having tooth-like
project;ons oE about llalf an inch are generally spaced by a
distance oE about one quarter to five eight inch. For a tip
member 20 hav;ng a lle;ght of about three eigllths of an inch,
spacing Or tllree sixteenths to one quarter inch is sufficient.
For thin and æhort hfl;r, the length of the projections 22 and 24
may be selected at about three eighths of an inch and spaced by a
distance oE three sixteenths oE an inch.
The dimension of the aperture 26 var;e~q nccording
to the width between the projections 22 and 24 of the archway or
fork 20. For instance, in the first mentioned embodiment, an
aperture 26 of about one sixteenth of an inch has been found
suitable. Correspondingly smaller apertures are selected Eor
smaller archways. Considering that the projections 22 and 24
constitute Elat walls for the dispensing of the liquids, the
~ ~ 3 ~
aperture 26 is preferably elongated as shown in figure 6 to
correspond to the plane oE the tootll-like projection6.
Figures 7 and 8 illustrate the new nozzle mounted
on a flexible bottle in two different stages of the hair
conditioning operation. As may be compared between figures 7 and
8, the mere rotation of the bottle about its longitud;nal axis by
180 represents a drastic cllAnge in the direction of the upper
portion 16 of the nozzle. In f;gure 7, thi~q position is selected
for applying the fluid on a substantially vertical lock 25 while
in figure 8, the fluid is applied to A lock 27 which is
considerably more horizontal than in figure 7. rhis means that
without any motion of the arm and the elbow by the hairdresser,
and only by a mallipulation of the fingers, it is possible to
apply the fluid along variou~ part~s of the head.
~ urtllermore, the dispensing tip 20, forms nn
arcllway which holds and guide~ a lock such as 25 and 27 on which
the di~pellsing fluid coming from the throat of the archway will
be npl)lied by compressing the bottle 12. It is pointed out that
the bottle 12 could be any means which would be adapted to
project the fluid in the direction of the nozzle according to the
invention. A pistol-like member which would allow an easy
manipulation and rotation of the nozzle could be substituted for
the bottle.
In figure 8, the dispensing tip 20 operates in a
~fi~
--7--
similar manner as in figure 7 but glide~s along the arrow 36 which
in(licates a direction substantially different than the one shown
by the arrow 38 in figure 7. The embodiment shown in figure 2
illu~strates tlle upper portion 16 having an angle of twenty-one
degree~s with the axis oE the bottle which means that when the
bottle is twi~sted by 180 degrees, the diEEerence in the
projecting angle will vary by forty-two degrees. In order to be
able to move Erom the top oE tlle head down to the side of the
head with the minimal movement of the arm, an angle of about
fi~teen to twenty-f;ve degrees ;9 selected between the direction
of the portion 16 and the axis 18.
A9 it may be seen from the illustration shown in
f;gures 7 and 8, the apex 32 of the angle between portions 14 and
16 of the nozzle peojects outside of the axis 18 of the bottle so
as to allow a better vision by the hairdresser on the locks of
hair 25 and 27 whicll are being conditioned. With the dimensions
such a~s identi~ied above, the apex 32 may be located at about one
to one and a halE inche~ from the axis 18.
It is a1so preferred to maintain the di~pensing tip
at such R location so as it recedes from the axis 18.
According to the dimensions of the nozzle identified above, a
receding distance of about three-quarters of an inch has been
foun(l particularly suitable.
The lower portion 14 of the nozzle 10 is
~ 0 3 ~
preferably curved to facilitate the flow of the liquid towards
the dispen~ing tip 20. For an embodiment as identified above,
the curve of the portion 14 may vary between two to four inches
in radius.
The fluid applicator for llair conditioning
according to the present invention is simple to contract, and
easy to manipulate.
